Electrical position-indicator.



L No.;708,478, Patented Sept. 2, I902..

A-. S. HUBBARD.

ELECTRICAL POSITION INDICATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 20, 1902.) (No Model.) 2 Shee-ts-Sheat I.

No. 708,478. Patented Sept. 2, I902;

A. S. HUBBARD; ELECTRICAL POSITION INDICATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 20, 1902.)

2 Shays-Sheet (No Model.)

Z ua; a)??? THZ NORRIS prrzns cu. PHOTO-LXTHQ, wnsmunrow, D. c.

Warren STATES Parent @FFKQE.

ALBERT S. HUBBARD, OF GREENYVICH, CONNECTICUT.

ELECTRICAL POSITION-INDICATOR.

sPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 708,478, datedSeptember 2, 1902. Application filed February 20, 1902. Serial No.94,913. (No model.)

To all whom it nutty concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT S. HUBBARD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Greenwich, in the county of Fairfield and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Position-Indicators, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in means for indicating at adistance the position of a movable object, such as an electric endcell-switch for storage batteries or any other object that travelsprogressively through a series of positions.

The invention comprises a movable index armature device havinga'magnetically polarized part and a fixed field-magnet having aseries ofmagnetizing coil-sections whereby its field or line or axis ofpolarization may be varied or shifted, so as to cause the armature tomove, electrical contacts controlled by the movement of the object whoseposition is to be indicated, and connections from said contacts to saidcoil-sections whereby the direction of the field-axis and the positionof the armature are determined by the position of said object.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partly-sectional front viewof an indicator controlled according to my invention. Fig. 2 is apartly-sectional plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the circuit connections of the indicatorwith the switch-contacts.

The indicator proper comprises a field-magnet 1, supported in a casingor frame 2, and an armature 3, mounted in the field of said magnet on apivot, with an index or pointer 5 on said pivot traveling over a fixedscale 6. Armature 3 has an annular core 3 and ring- Winding connected atopposite points through sliding contacts consisting of collector-rings 77 and brushes 8 8 with opposite sides of an energizing-circuit f) 9. Thefield-magnet 1 is also annular, havinga core 1 and a ringwinding dividedinto coil-sections 1", which are connected, by circuit-wires 10, withthe contacts of the controlling device. Said controlling device isshownin Fig. 3, where the bar or part 11 is attached to or connected withthe-part whose position is to be indicatedfor example, the handle of anend cell-switch for storage batteries or the drum or cable of anelevatorit being understood that in the latter case a motion-reducingconnection will be provided. This part 11 carries contacts 11, engagingwith fixed circuit terminals or bars 12 12 and with the insulatedsegments or contacts 13, which are connected to the field-magnetsections 1 above referred to, the order of connection of the sectionscorresponding to the order of the contacts 13,

and the contacts 13 that are opposite each other being connected todiametrically opposite points of the field-magnet 1. Theenergizing-circuit 9 9 includes a generator or source of current 15, oneside of which is connected to one of the bars 12, the other bar 12"being connected to one of the collector-brushes 8, while the other brush8' is connected to the other side of the generator. The circuit istherefore from the generator to contact 12, through the switch-contactto one of the fixed contacts 13, then to the fieldmagnet 1, dividing andpassing both ways in said magnet, passing out at the other side of saidmagnet to a contact 13 on that side, then by switch contact and bar 12and through the brushes and collector-rings to one side of the armature,in which it divides, and passing from the other side of the armatureback to the generator. The coil-sections 1 may be separated; but Iprefer to make them as parts of a continuous ring-winding, theconnections from the contacts 13 being made to different parts of saidwinding, thus dividing the latter into sections. The splitting of thecircuit in both the armature and the fieldmagnet causes polarization ofboth of them, the axis or line of polarization passing through thepoints of entrance and exit of the current. As the armature tends to setitself in the direction of field-magnetization and as. this directiondepends on the point at which contact is made in the switch devices 1112 13, the position of the part 11 is thereby indicated. When theswitch-contact is in intermediate position, so as to make contact withtwo of the fixed contacts 13 13 on each side at thesame time, the lineof polarization of the field-magnet 1 will be half-way between thecorresponding connections, so as to cause the index device to indicatethe intermediate position, and I prefer to make the contacts so longthat this bridging action takes place except when the part 11 is inexact position at some one of the steps which is to be indicated.Another advantage of the device is that the position of the pointer isnot affected at all by variations of current or of electromotive forcein the circuit, contrasting favorably in that respect with those devicesthat depend on variation of current for the indicating movement andwhich are liable to give Wrong indications on accidental disturbance ofthe proper conditions of electromotive force or resistance.

It will be understood that the index device 5 need not be a pointer, butmay be any suitable indicating means, and need not be attached to thearmature, but may be connected to the armature 3 in any suitable manner,so as to be moved thereby. Moreover, the armature need not be moved, asan armature of magnetic material, suitably shaped or polarized, so as tobe capable of setting itself along lines of force, may be used instead.Thus a needle or bar of iron or steel may be used.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as newtherein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. An electrical position-indicator,comprising a ring-armature providedwith a winding and with energizing-circuit connections, an index deviceconnected to said armature, an annular field-magnet with a ring-winding,and a switch device connected to the object whose position is to beindicated and having a plurality of contacts electrically connected todifferent parts of the said winding and to an energizing-circuit.

2. An electrical position-indicator,comprising a ring-armature providedwith a Winding and with energizing-circuit connections, an index deviceconnected to said armature, an annular field-magnet with a ring-winding,and a switch device connected to the object Whose position is to beindicated and having a plurality of contacts electrically connected todifferent parts of the said winding and to an energizing-circuit. v

3. An electrical position-indicator comprising an annular field-magnetprovided with a series of coil-sections, a ring-armature havingenergizing-circuit connections, windings on said armature to divide thecurrent around and polarize the same, said armature mounted to move inresponse to polarization of the field magnet, an index controlled by themovements of said armature, a switch device having contact-piecesconnected to the object whose position is to be indicated, and saidcontact-pieces connected with the'corresponding coil-sections of thefield-magnet.

4. An electrical position-indicator comprising an annular field-magnetprovided with a series of coil-sections, a ring-armature havingenergizing-circuit connections, windings on said armature to divide thecurrent around and polarize the same, said armature mounted to move inresponse to polarization of the fieldmagnet, an index controlled by themovements of said armature, a switch device having contact-piecesconnected to the object whose position is to be indicated, saidcontact-pieces connected with the corresponding coil-sections of thefieldmagnet, said switch device being of such construction as to passfrom one contact-piece to the adjacent contact-piece without breakingcircuit.

5. An electrical position-indicator comprising an annular field-magnetprovided with a series of coil-sections, a ring-armature havingenergizing-circuit connections, windings on said armature to divide thecurrent around and polarize the same, said armature mount ed to move inresponse to polarization of the field magnet, an index controlled by themovements of said armature, a switch device having contact-piecesconnected to the object whose position is to be indicated, saidcontact-pieces connected with the corresponding coil-sections of thefield-magnet, the interval between adjacent contact-pieces being sosmall with relation to the switch device that said switch device willmaintain contact with adjacent contact devices in passing from one tothe other and bring in circuit corresponding adjacent coil-sections onthe fieldmagnet whereby an intermediate position of the object whoseposition is to be indicated will be shown.

ALBERT s; HUBBARD.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR P. KNIGHT, J. GREEN.

